The Man with the Camino Tattoo takes on the Ireland Way

Dermot on the Camino de Santiago 2016

Dermot & Jacqui 2014

​Dermot's Fundraiser Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/1000k4j
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1000k4j/

Long distance walker and writer, Dermot Breen (aka ‘The Man with the Camino Tattoo’), is about to embark on his third 1,000 kilometre trek in memory of his late wife, Jacqui, and to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. This time he is tackling the rugged Ireland Way, which stretches from Castletownbere on the Beara Peninsula in Co Cork to Ballycastle on the North Antrim coast, a journey that will take him five to six weeks to complete. 
 
In 2015, Dermot walked the entire Ulster Way around Northern Ireland and in 2016 he walked the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. In 2017, he took a break from long distance walking to concentrate on writing and has since had two books published charting his physical and emotional journeys since he lost his beloved wife of 28 years to ovarian cancer in January 2015. He sets off on the Ireland Way on 20 June.

Of his latest venture, which will see him covering upto 20 miles per day, Dermot said “I thought that I had perhaps finished with my long distance walking, but when I learned that the Ireland Way finished in Ballycastle, I just felt compelled to get my walking boots on once again. Ballycastle is where Jacqui was brought up and her remains now rest in Ramoan Parish Church at the top of the town. Ballycastle is therefore a very special place for me and it will be highly fitting, and perhaps a little emotional, to end my latest walk there. The timing of my walk is also highly significant in that I aim to reach Ballycastle by 1 August, which is the date on which Jacqui and I were married 31 years ago. It might sound a little melodramatic, but it just seems to me that I was destined to do this walk.” 

Dermot's camino tattoo

Dermot’s latest book, ‘The Man with the Camino Tattoo’, covering his experiences during his Spanish Camino de Santiago venture, has just been published by the Belfast based publisher, Shanway Press. The title of the book comes from the fact that, while on his journey, Dermot met a French pilgrim called Nicolas who also happened to be a tattoo artist. After Nicolas heard Dermot’s story about why he was walking the Camino, he designed a unique tattoo in Jacqui’s honour and commemorating Dermot’s Ulster Way and Spanish pilgrimages. Dermot now proudly sports the tattoo on his right shoulder and jokes about how his meeting with Nicolas certainly left a ‘lasting impression’ on him and how he himself is now happy to be known as ‘The Man with the Camino Tattoo’.
 
Dermot hopes to raise £7,500 for Cancer Research UK through his latest walk, which will push his fundraising total since 2015 to £40,000. People can either support him by donating to his fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/1000k4j or by purchasing one of his books from Shanway Press at http://shanway.com/product/the-man-with-the-camino-tattoo/ or via Amazon, as he also donates all sales revenue to the charity.